These Days
by Rouge Mage
Summary: Duo hears a song that brings back some painfull memories. He decides to meet up with an old ally to see if his attitude will change. Will it? Or is he just going to be left hurting?


These Days  
  
D uo was listening to a radio while working away on a car engine. He was tapping his foot to the music that was playing, recalling the days back during the war and the time briefly afterwards when he had been happy. Ah, that girl Hilde. She had taken his heart then trashed it. It was a pity really; she had broken his heart just before he was going to ask her to marry him. He frowned and stopped working. "God I miss you." Hey baby. Is that you? Wow your hair got so long.. The song lyrics he heard blast over the radio ran in his ears. He shuddered softly wondering what the others would think if they saw him now. Would Wufei call him weak for letting his heartbreak over a woman? It wasn't just any lady. It was Hilde. She had been with him and then left him. Duo reached over and turned up the volume on the radio. Isn't that the song we used to sing while driving down... He started to curse softly as he listened to this song. He never really listened to country. He like punk rock a lot, but this song spoke to him.  
  
Yeah. Life throws you curbs. But you learned to swerve. Me? I learned to swing and next thing you know; I'm reminiscing and dreaming on dreams wishes on wishes like you'd be back again. I wake up and teardrops fall down my face like rain. I put on the song we danced to.. And then.I wake up and tear drops fall down like rain.. I go to my job. Guess not much has changed. Head for home check the phone.. Go to bed.Dream of you. That's what I'm doing these days.. I wake up and teardrops fall down my face like rain. I put on the song we danced to.. And then.I wake up and tear drops fall down like rain.. Duo pulled out a root beer from a refrigerator and sat down to drink it. He had no other option really but to drink that soda and let his memories come back. He snuck into their apartment with a bunch of followers he bought off a street vendor. He had a wild grin on his face as he opened the kitchen door. "Hey.Hilde-Babe...I got you something," Duo said as he snuck in. He gasped when he saw Hilde kissing some strange man he had never seen. "HILDE!" "Mmmmmppphh!" Hilde pulled back from the red-haired man. Duo's eyes had gone wide and he looked as pale as the curtains that hung over their kitchen sink. ".Hilde.Why?" ".I'm sorry Duo... you... leave me alone so much.. I. Lost interest." Duo couldn't even look at her. He dropped the assorted flowers on the floor and ran out of the apartment. Much latter he returned drunker than he had ever gotten in his life. A note was left on the table. Duo, I'm sorry but I won't stay. I don't love you anymore. Please don't try and find me.. -Hilde. Duo turned off the radio as a few last lyrics played. Hey girl you're late. And those planes... They don't wait. Promise me if you're in town you'll come and see me then.. Duo decided to call Wufei. He knew Wufei was on L2 on Preventor business. "Maybe he'll stop by," Duo murmured to himself as he dialed the number. The phone rang twice before answering. "Hello, Wufei Chang speaking," a somewhat harsh voice rang out. "Hey Wuffers," Duo called brightly over the phone. No way would he let anyone know how lonely he was. "Maxwell! How on Earth did you get this number," Wufei demanded over the phone. Duo laughed. "I got it from Sally about a month ago.Say..I was wondering.. Maybe you'd like to meet up for a quick bite to eat? Haven't seen you guys in ages.I'm sort of out of the loop man," Duo said in a cheerful tone. Wufei on the other end was sitting at a desk while typing up a few more lines on a report. He knew Duo too well, and unless Duo had drastically changed in the past few years Duo was looking for a good excuse to have someone to talk to. A tiny smile stretched across Wufei's features. This would be interesting to see. Duo usually would avoid social situation with Wufei because they normally ended with Wufei chasing him with a sword, or at least back during the war that's what usually happened. "..Wufei? You still there." "Sorry. I was busy. I'll meet you in an hour.. But where is the question." "Hmmm.There's a new place on Main Street.. It's called Rosa's. It's got good food," Duo piped up in a happy one. This caused Wufei to get images of greasy fried food and day old coffee. "Sounds all right to me Duo. I'll see you then," Wufei hung up his phone. At the other end Duo was grinning softly. He wondered how much Wufei had changed. He hadn't really. He still had his braid, only it was longer and about half an inch thicker. He was slightly taller and looked stronger but he still wore all black. It was just an old habit he couldn't quite break. Duo glanced up at the clock. He had time to clean up the garage before he left for the diner. He pulled a broom out and started to sweep up real quick. As a mechanic it was a matter of habit to keep his shop clean. A clean shop meant that when he was working whatever he was working on wouldn't get grit inside. Pretty soon the shop was clean enough so he could just leave for lunch. That was the advantage to owning and running his own auto shop. He pulled on a lightweight jean jacket and headed outside and started walking down the sidewalk. It was a good three blocks to the diner. He whistled a tune to himself as he was walking down the sidewalk. It surprised him that it was the tune to the song he had hear. The song was truly the cause of him calling Wufei. Had he not heard that song he wouldn't have realized how lonely he was lately. That's when he stopped near a bakery. The song was playing on the radio again! Or maybe the shop owner liked the people that were singing this song.  
  
Dreaming on dreams. Wishing on wishes  
  
I wake up and tear drops. They fall down like rain I put on that old song we danced to I punch the clock, head for work, come back home, check the phone. That's what I'm doing these days.. I guess not much has changed.. Duo couldn't help but start to sing the chorus as he walked down the road. "I wake up. And tear drops.. They fall down like rain.. I get up.. ... Punch the clock... Head for work.. That's what I'm doing these days.." He pauses then chuckles, "..Or something like that." He shakes his head as he sees the neon lights for Rosas' diner. He couldn't help but grin. He was right on time. He was soon stepping through the door and peering around. He turned and smiled broadly. In the corner of the diner at a booth sat Wufei. He had by the looks of it not changed much. His hair was a little longer but other than that Wufei still looked the same. Duo walked over quickly, "Hey! Wufei!" Wufei looked up and gave Duo a hard gaze. "Maxwell. It's been a while." Duo quickly took the seat across from Wufei. He couldn't help but smile broadly at his fellow former Gundam pilot. "So.. How have things been going at the Preventors," Duo asked out of curiosity. Wufei's dark eyes darkened. He was under the surface angry. He could tell by the looks of it Duo was leading a simple peaceful life. Part of him felt cheated out. How could Duo be so at peace while he was still constantly at war with himself? It just didn't seem fair. "Things are fine. Lady Une works us harder lately. Little conflicts on Earth have been showing up lately but it isn't anything we can't handle," Wufei says coolly. He knew Duo was curious but he couldn't say much more to Duo because Duo was just a regular citizen now. He was no longer a soldier and as such didn't need to know what exactly was going on. He could at least tell Duo what little he had told him. It was something that Duo should know if he had been paying attention to the news anyways. "And what of you Duo? Are you still with..," Wufei pauses as he wrinkles his nose trying to remember, "Hilde?" Duo started to speak up but a waitress had come over. "Here are a couple of menus." She handed them the menus. "May I get you something to drink," she said cheerfully. Duo grinned, "Coffee for me." "I'll have coffee as well." The waitress nods and practically scampers off to get the pair their coffee. Wufei was watching Duo partly as he scanned over the menu. He could tell Duo was relived at not having to answer Wufei's question yet. "I guess I'll get a Ruben Sandwich," Duo muttered softly. "I'll have the chicken salad," Wufei told the waitress as she returned with the coffee, "and my friend will have the Ruben Sandwich." The waitress nods and goes off to give their order to the cook. "You never answered my question," Wufei said as he took a sip of his coffee. He was watching as Duo put about twenty packs of sugar in his own coffee. Duo looked up and sighed. He should have known it would come to this. "She left me about two years after the Eve War," he was referring of course to that incident with Trize's daughter. Wufei frowned. He could tell that Duo was pretty broken up over Hilde leaving him but he was trying to act as if nothing was wrong. "You have anyone in your life Wufei? Maybe Sally," Duo asked with a mischievous smirk on his face, an eager attempt to hide his own loneliness by torturing Wufei by egging him on. Wufei tried not to smirk. He knew what Duo was doing. He decided to indulge him. "Yes, in fact there is someone. I won't say whom yet. We're planning on 'going public' at a prevtor's picnic this summer." "..What? You gay or something? I used to think you might be.. Until I got you drunk that time.. And you told me about..," Duo started to trail off as he got a death glare from Wufei, "Sorry.. I had to know." Wufei nodded slowly, "It's all right." The Waitress came over and placed down the two sandwiches. That's when a beeper went off. Wufei plucked it out of his pocket and frowned. "Sorry to cut our meeting short but I have to go Maxwell.. I'll call you latter." Wufei tossed a couple of wrinkled up bills and dashed out the door. Duo sighed softly and started to eat his sandwich. Wishing on wishes... Dreaming on dreams.. 


End file.
